Creative Communities, 1750-1830 is an AHRC-funded Research Network based in the School of English at the University of Leeds, in partnership with the University of Southampton and University College London. Dr David Higgins is the Principal Investigator and Professor John Whale is the Co-Investigator.

Focusing on historical case studies, the network will examine how connections between members of a community, and between different communities, can enhance creativity. At the same time, it will subject those key terms to rigorous investigation. The network will bring together established and early career researchers, as well as non-academic stakeholders, from a range of institutions, to debate key questions about the relationship between creativity and community.

Creative Communities will run from October 2012 to March 2014. It will include three workshops: Dissenters and Evangelicals(Leeds) in April 2013; London’s Creative Institutions (UCL) in September 2013; and Regional Networks (Southampton) in January 2014.